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Our test unit was well built, and feels robust enough to throw in the boot of a car without any concerns. The whole assembly is easy to take apart, enabling you to separate the components for easier transportation.

In use the slider feels smooth and the benefits of using a slider to control your camera track become immediately apparent: great technical shots become straightforward to achieve.

Performance

All sliders need a bit of practice to achieve the best results, but the Glidetrack HD Hybrid Slider is easier to get to grips with than some of its predecessors, because of the super-smooth gliding action. New users will quickly be able to achieve fluid motion in their shots.

And with the versatility to use the device as a miniature crane - and even upside down - without affecting the smooth passage of the carriage along the track, the device performs admirably in all conditions.

We tried a couple of bigger cameras on the Hybrid, including a Sony PMW-EX1, and found the slider continued to perform well, despite the additional weight.

One of the biggest limitations of the device is the length you opt for. Our review unit is 0.75 metres long, and we found ourselves wishing for a 1m or 2m track. However, you can do a lot with a short track, and in some ways it forces more creativity on choice of shot and composition.

The carriage fits a Manfrotto 701 or 501 fluid video head nicely, but an extension tube would come in handy to elevate the video head away from the surface of the carriage. We found we needed to make constant adjustments to the arm of the video head to get the best leverage on the camera.